Many Shades of Grey
by laurenreneex3
Summary: This story takes place almost immediately after the events of Book 7. Ginny has quite the choice to make. Spoilers beyond this point. It is A.U. in that Fred Weasley did not in the last battle. H/G and D/G. R/Hr.


Note: I own NOTHING except the plot line. JKR owns EVERYTHING [unfortunately, that includes Draco]. Please bear with me on the first chapter. It's just a short little thing meant to give some background, etc. Enjoy!

_The world isn't made up solely of black & white, good vs. evil, but many shades of grey. _

Ginny woke with a start. She rubbed her eyes and glanced around the room. It took her a few minutes to figure out where she was and how she had gotten there.

Then, it all came flooding back. Her dreadful 6th year, the battle, Voldemort's defeat, and worst of all—the deaths of people she loved. She glanced at the clock, noting that it was five in the morning. She remembered all the chaos that had followed the battle's end the previous morning. She remembered feeling happy, mournful, and exhausted all at once. And, she remembered finally be brought home in the late afternoon, after the wizarding world's order had been restored.

In the time after the battle, Kinsley had been declared Minister of Magic, school had been shut down early for the summer, Voldemort's surviving death eaters had been arrested and sent to Azkaban pending their trials, bodies of friends and enemies alike had been taken care of, and finally, _finally_, they had been permitted to go home.

Ginny had been asleep for a little over twelve hours, in the same clothes she had arrived home in. Clothes that were still stained with dirt, blood, and much other debris from the battle. She could hear many voices coming from the kitchen, downstairs. She rose out of bed, changed into some clean clothes, and walked slowly downstairs.

"Morning Gin," she heard a familiar voice say when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She searched for the face that matched the voice and found it. Harry, their hero, was sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by people. She smiled in response, but said nothing. She and him had many things to work out, and now, loads of time for it.

She surveyed the scene in the kitchen, which was packed full. Sitting at the table were, it appeared, all the surviving members of the Order deep in conversation. Ginny's brothers were all leaning against the countertops, joining the discussion. Ron, the youngest of her elder brothers, had his arms around Hermione, who waved to Ginny when she walked in. _'It's about time,' _Ginny thought. It had taken a war for Ron and Hermione to see what the whole rest of the world already had—they were meant to be together. Finally, Ginny's eyes settled on a boy whom she was surprised to see in her kitchen. Draco Malfoy, an alleged Death Eater himself, was standing in the corner looking awfully uncomfortable.

'_What in the world is _that_ boy doing in our kitchen?_' Ginny wondered. The Slytherin had certainly been on the wrong side of the battle and Ginny couldn't comprehend why he wasn't in Azkaban with his parents. When she caught Malfoy's eye she raised an eyebrow at him, questioningly. He only shrugged in response.

After a few more moments of confusion, Ginny walked over to Hermione. Since she had walked downstairs only moments ago, she hadn't caught up to what the Order, and everyone else was currently discussing. She leaned over and whispered to Hermione, "What have I missed? How long has this meeting been going on? And, what in the world is that awful, foul excuse of a boy doing in my house?"

"We were just recapping—for what seems to be the thousandth time—the events of yesterday morning, and the night before," Hermione answered Ginny's first question.

"And, technically," Ron added, "This isn't a real meeting. Some of the Order haven't slept yet, just sat down here and talked. The rest of us have just joined in as we woke up, just like you."

At this point Fred, who had been standing close by, joined into the conversation. "As for that twit," he motioned to where Malfoy stood, "I think the lot of us are confused on why he's here as well. He didn't come home with us yesterday, but has been there since any of us woke up. And none of them," he indicated the Order members, "Have explained why he's here. But I'm fairly certain he arrived with one of them."

Just then, Harry caught the attention of Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. He inclined his head towards the door, and the three of them nodded in response. "Excuse me," Harry said to the others at the table before standing up and walking out.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione followed Harry out into the yard. They all took a seat under a nearby tree and just sat in silence for a few minutes. All of them had a lot on their minds, and all of them needed a chance to relax.

Eventually, Ron spoke up. "Honestly," he began ranting, as if he had been rambling for hours, "Who does that git think he is? He should be locked up with his good for nothing parents! But is he? No, he's sitting in my kitchen. Mum won't let me kick him out. You know what she did when I woke up? She pulled me aside and told me that if I said just one nasty thing to him I'd wish I hadn't till the day I died. Wouldn't even explain to me what he's doing here. Said Kingsley brought him and if Kingsley wants him here then so does she."

This little rant elicited small smirk from Harry. Leave it to Ron to be more worried about the fact that Malfoy was in his kitchen than the fact that they had just won the biggest wizarding war of all time. "I was up when Kingsley arrived. He came in the house before Malfoy and told your mum that he had brought a guest who he was hoping could stay here at the Burrow for the time being. And that's when that little prat walked in."

"No, he ruddy well can't stay at my house!" Ginny said, outraged.

"He won't just be staying in your house, Gin," Ron responded. "He'll be staying in your room! Picture that—Malfoy, in _your_ bed."

"Would you look at that," a voice said. "My sex god image precedes me." They all looked up to find the Death Eater himself standing above them.

"Get out of here Malfoy," Ron spit at him. "You don't belong here and you know it."

"Why should I, Weasley? If the minister wants me here, there's nothing you can do about it now is there?"

"Want to bet?" Ginny muttered, glaring at Malfoy.

"Besides," Malfoy continued, ignoring Ginny's comment, "I know that _I_ can play nice. The real question is, can you?"

Harry rolled his eyes at Malfoy. "Sorry, I don't play well with Death Eaters. You should know that by now."

Draco shoved his left arm in front of Harry's face and then pulled up his sleeve, revealing his pale, white arm, but no dark mark. He raised his eyebrows at Harry before turning and sauntering away.

After a long moment of silence in his wake, Ron muttered, "He's still a git."


End file.
